Small Manufacturing Week, 1999

Proclamation 7217 of August 25, 1999

Small Manufacturing Week, 1999

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's free enterprise system is continually
energized by the skill, vision, and exceptional
performance of our Nation's small manufacturers--those
who employ fewer than 500 employees. Though small in
size, these companies make enormous contributions to
our economy and provide our society and the world with
high-quality manufactured goods. More important, small
manufacturers are a vital source of new jobs-- almost 1
million between 1992 and 1996--and provide a livelihood
for nearly 12 million Americans.

We live in an age dominated by information and
technology, where the global marketplace grows ever
more complex and interdependent. As large manufacturers
expand their reliance on smaller firms for parts and
services, the performance of small manufacturers
becomes increasingly important to the competitiveness
of America's manufacturing sector.

My Administration, working with the Congress and State
governments, has strived to ensure that these small
firms have access to the resources, technology,
expertise, and training they need to realize their
highest potential. By passing two consecutive balanced
budgets and signing into law the Taxpayer Relief Act of
1997, we have helped to reduce interest rates, ease the
tax burden on small firms, and encourage investment and
growth. The Small Business Administration, through its
vigorous lending and loan guaranty efforts, has
improved access to capital so that small manufacturing
firms and other small businesses can modernize, expand,
and invest in worker training.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) of the
Department of Commerce, which is celebrating its tenth
anniversary this year, gives small manufacturers a
solid foundation on which to build innovative ideas and
products. With a network of more than 70 nonprofit
centers, the MEP serves small manufacturers in all 50
States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico,
providing access to the newest technology,
manufacturing processes, and business practices. The
MEP's local centers offer personalized guidance to
manufacturers on issues ranging from business to
technology solutions. And because these centers are
linked together through the Department of Commerce's
National Institute of Standards and Technology, even
the smallest manufacturing firms can enjoy instant
access to the most advanced national resources.

Most important, we are continuing to invest in
education and training to give America's working men
and women the skills and knowledge they need to succeed
in the jobs of the 21st century. The Workforce
Investment Act of 1998, which I was pleased to sign
into law last year, provides skill grants directly to
workers so they can choose the kind of training they
want and where they want to obtain it.

As we observe Small Manufacturing Week, let us pay
tribute to America's more than 385,000 small
manufacturing firms whose commitment to hard work and
excellence has helped set our country on a steady
course for continued growth and prosperity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim September 19 through
September 25, 1999, as Small Manufacturing Week, 1999.
I invite all Americans to observe this week with
appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs that
recognize the achievements of our Nation's small
manufacturers.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-fourth.